The rescuer : the amazing, true story of how one woman helped save the Jews of Syria

It was the mid-1970s news report about twelve Syrian Jews being blown up in a minefield while trying to escape their country that brought home to Judy Feld Carr the terrible plight of Syria’s Jewish population. Like other Jews who remained trapped in Arab lands following the formation of the State of Israel, Syrian Jews lived in daily peril, virtual prisoners of a totalitarian regime, their every move closely monitored by the Muhabarat (the Syrian Secret Police), with extortion, imprisonment, and torture a constant reality. Over the next thirty years, “Mrs. Judy” (as she was known to the people she helped) publicly championed the cause of Syrian Jews as she secretly negotiated their escape–dealing with smugglers, bribing officials, haggling over travel documents, arranging medical aid, and funnelling money to those in need, even to those in prison.The Rescuer is the intensely dramatic story of the heroic and deeply humanitarian actions of one seemingly ordinary woman, a compelling glimpse into the workings of one Islamic regime, and a testament to the difference that one individual’s actions can have on the lives of thousands. It was the mid-1970s news report about twelve Syrian Jews being blown up in a minefield while trying to escape their country that brought home to Judy Feld Carr the terrible plight of Syrias Jewish population. Like other Jews who remained trapped in Arab lands following the formation of the State of Israel, Syrian Jews lived in daily peril, virtual prisoners of a totalitarian regime, their every move closely monitored by the Muhabarat (the Syrian Secret Police), with extortion, imprisonment, and torture a constant reality. Over the next thirty years, Mrs. Judy (as she was known to the people she helped) publicly championed the cause of Syrian Jews as she secretly negotiated their escapedealing with smugglers, bribing officials, haggling over travel documents, arranging medical aid, and funnelling money to those in need, even to those in prison. The Rescuer is the intensely dramatic story of the heroic and deeply humanitarian actions of one seemingly ordinary woman, a compelling glimpse into the workings of one Islamic regime, and a testament to the difference that one individuals actions can have on the lives of thousands. FRONT COVER......Page 1 TITLE PAGE......Page 2 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE TO THE PAPERBACK EDITION......Page 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 18 PROLOGUE The Determination to Survive......Page 20 CHAPTER ONE Haif a World Away......Page 26 CHAPTER TWO The Jews of Despair......Page 37 CHAPTER THREE The Task at Hand......Page 58 CHAPTER FOUR Be Strong and of Good Courage......Page 87 CHAPTER FIVE Carrying Their Fears With Them......Page 112 CHAPTER SIX Deliver Them Out of Syria......Page 135 CHAPTER SEVEN Ransoming the Captives......Page 162 CHAPTER EIGHT So They Can Marry......Page 192 CHAPTER NINE Prisoners of Damascus......Page 207 CHAPTER TEN Opening the Gates......Page 231 EPILOGUE Survival and Renewal......Page 259 CHAPTER ONE......Page 266 CHAPTER TWO......Page 268 CHAPTER THREE......Page 270 CHAPTER FOUR......Page 275 CHAPTER FIVE......Page 278 CHAPTER SIX......Page 281 CHAPTER SEVEN......Page 284 CHAPTER EIGHT......Page 287 CHAPTER NINE......Page 290 CHAPTER TEN......Page 293 EPILOGUE......Page 297 INTERVIEWS......Page 298 INDEX......Page 301 BACK COVER......Page 305 Harold Troper ; [editors, Andrea Knight And Alison Reid]. Originally Published Under Title: The Ransomed Of God (toronto : M. Lester Books, 1999). Includes Bibliographical References (pages 239-270) And Index.